Djokovic fights way through pain barrier to beat Raonic
NOVAK DJOKOVIC admitted he is risking significant damage to his body by continuing to play in the Australian Open.
The world number one sustained an abdominal injury during his third-round match against Taylor Fritz on Friday and was unsure until he practised yesterday whether he would take to the court for his clash with Milos Raonic.
The Serb decided to play on and battled to a 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over the big-serving Canadian to move into the quarter-finals.
Djokovic admitted that he would have pulled out of any tournament other than a grand slam, but the incentive of trying to win a ninth title in Melbourne and 18th overall is stronger than the pain.
The 33-year-old, who became the second player after Roger Federer to win 300 grand slam matches, said: “Mentally, I think you have to accept that I did come into the match knowing that I’ll probably feel pain all the way through, which was the case.
“I somehow managed to find a way and win, and that’s what matters the most. Now I’ve got another 40 hours or so until the next match. I’m fine with whatever is happening post-tournament, because I’m going to take time off to heal properly before I step on the court again.”
Djokovic’s next match will come tomorrow against sixth seed Alexander Zverev, who was a 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 winner over Dusan Lajovic.
Third seed Dominic Thiem became the biggest casualty of the tournament so far with a meek 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 defeat to Grigor Dimitrov. The Austrian cited “some little physical issues” but added: “I don’t want to find any excuses.”
Bulgaria’s Dimitrov will play qualifier Aslan Karatsev (pictured below), who continued his fine run with a 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
At 27, Russian Karatsev has spent his whole career in the lower reaches of the sport, never breaking the top 100 or playing in the main draw of a grand slam until this week. He is the first debutant to reach the quarterfinals of the men’s singles at a slam since Alex Radulescu at Wimbledon in 1996.
In the women’s singles, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka both survived close battles to reach the quarter-finals, while Simona Halep gained revenge on Iga Swiatek.
Third seed and title favourite Osaka saved two match points on her way to a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, victory over last year’s runner-up Garbine Muguruza, before Williams battled to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win against Aryna Sabalenka.
Williams next faces Halep, who was beaten by Swiatek as the Polish teenager swept to her first grand slam title at the French Open, but turned the tables to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Osaka will next face Hsieh Su-wei, who at 35 became the oldest player to reach a first slam quarter-final in the Open era with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marketa Vondrousova.